Kings County Biographies
This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives
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PAIGE, ROOT & CHITTENDEN
After a long experience and acquaintance with Mr. E. J. Root, Mr. L.
S. Chittenden came with him to Hanford in the fall of 1889. They selected a
valuable tract of 960 acres of land belonging to Timothy Paige, of San
Francisco, and the firm of Paige, Root & Chittenden was established and the
Lucerne Vineyard organized. The land was then a wheat field. Preparations were
at once commenced and on February 1, 1890, the planting of vines began, with a
large force of men, and inside of two months 930 acres were set to raisin
grape-vines. Thus was established the largest raisin vineyard in the world. By
wise and careful management ninety-five per cent of the vines lived, and unusual
stand for so large an acreage. Twenty acres are in alfalfa for pasture, and ten
acres represent the area for buildings. About fifty head of horses and mules
are employed in the vineyard and about fifty men are steadily engaged outside of
packing season, when many hundreds are employed. They have an improved drying
house, 94 x 130 feet, with a capacity of sixty tons of fruit, through which
steam is distributed by a system of pipes and hot air forced by a steam hot
blast apparatus. Their packing house is 80 x 100 feet, weight room 36 x 40
feet, steaming room 40 x 72 feet, with steam steamer and box factory, 40 x 60
feet. Grapes and raisins are distributed from house to house by a track and
cable system, power being gained from a seventy-five horse-power Corliss engine,
which will do the steam work of the establishment. The boarding and lodging
house for women is a handsome two-story structure, 26 x 76 feet, very complete
in appointments. A similar house has been erected for men, cottages for
families and numerous buildings to accommodate the animals and implements of the
ranch. The establishment embraces thirty-eight buildings and is the largest and
most complete raisin vineyard in the known world. Messrs. Root and Chittenden
reside on the vineyard in their tasty cottages, which are handsomely fitted up.
In their different departments they superintend and manage this vast enterprise,
and with their superior knowledge of the business they are the right men in the
right place.
Memorial and Biographical History of the counties of Fresno, Tulare and Kern,
California
Chicago, The Lewis Publishing Company, 1892 p. 734
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler